SOB story

Doris Buffett, Warren E. Buffet's older sister, calls "S.O.B. gifts" -- donations that support symphonies, opera and ballet, for the wealthiest charitable givers, or checkbook philanthropy.
On the flip side, homeless, er tent campers, also are contemplating S.O.B. stories. That acronym stands for sleeping bags or blankets to stay warm and cuddly during the frigid winter upcoming.
That's in stark contrast.
The number of Americans living below the poverty line has ballooned to 46.2 million which is the highest ever since the Census Bureau began collecting such data.
Median incomes are declining and college graduates can't find jobs. The gap between the richniks and the poverty-stricken is widening at a stark dichotomous gap.
According to the New York Times, state and local governments have slashed budgets which address homelessness, school nutrition, substance abuse and a range of social services.
While many Americans always give generously to help the underprivileged, many of the wealthies have their priorities askew. They prefer to donate to building museums to house their art collections; underwrite new wings in hospitals or halls named for them at their alma maters; use their money and influence to sway public policy and influence political campaigns; or seek to solve problems in Africa rather than in their own backyards.
"At a time when America is having a debate about the social contract, philanthropy is silent," said Emmett D. Carson, chief executive of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, which has assets of $2 billion. "We are silent about the depths of the problems of homelessness, joblessness, foreclosure, hunger, and people are starting to believe that philanthropy is irrelevant to the core needs of their communities."
In a more practicable scenario, William E. Conley, Jr., the billionaire co-founder of the Carlyle Group, recently told the Washington Post that he was disenchanted with giving tens of millions of dollars to nonprofits that provide food, shelter and health care to the needy.
"So much of what I do now is stopgap," Conley opined. "Somebody's hungry, we give money to the food bank. It would be far better if we had a more permanent solution."
As the tradition-rich holidays, Thanksgiving and Christmas, approach, everyone's heart goes out to helping the unfortunates.
There will be lavish Turkey Day dinners at churches and homeless shelters.
But still the campers must trudge through the ice and snow and snuggle up in their S.O.B.s (sleeping bagos or blankets) and endure the wintry frigidity because their is no homeless shelter available on a 24-7 basis.
Even Mary and Joseph had to go to a manger to birth the Christ child because their was no homeless shelter available.
So, while deliberating how to help the homeless this holiday season, consider the options: donate to a food bank, volunteer to help serve a Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, donate clothes, sleeping bags or blankets (SOB), or maybe collaborate on a plan for a homeless shelter.
All of those benefit the less than well-to-do. But what's needed most?
A shelter!!!!!
In other words, hopefully all those woebegones will be gone if a united way is ascertained to aid and abet houselessness.